Code Geass: Before It all Began
by Alabastor89
Summary: What is the story behind C.C.'s mysterious past? Read and find out her past that has been fogged by several centuries of immortality! Rated M for the future.
1. Chapter 1:Prologue

**A word from the Author: Hey everyone! Alabastor89 here with my first attempt at a story on the fanfic webite, so to let you know, I openly accept criticism (or if I deserve it, compliments!). **

**I revised this chapter, by revised I mean I fixed a lot of grammar problems, fixed the format, and added some text to the story as well.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or any characters related to it.**

**

* * *

  
**

Code Geass: Before it all Began

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

Many centuries ago…….in one of the more peaceful eastern crannies of France, sat a village by the name of Serovilla, there was a boy by the name of Callen Kurtz. The boy was claimed to have a unique gift by the villagers, due to his early skill and prowess with the blade, the villagers believed he was meant to be the future king of France. The boy was so naturally refined in the arts of swordsmanship that he bested their best warrior at the young age of just 12 years old, he had a fiery desire to better himself in both body and mind. So the tale began………

"Are we going to the city today Papa?" I asked my father remembering his promise from the day before.

"No, not today I've had a change of plans" was my father's response in a brisk tone.

"Now run along, I haven't the time for you today, but I promise, we will go tomorrow Callen."

Disappointment flooded through me, and I wouldn't have been surprised if he noticed it, I never was very good at suppressing my emotions.

My father had promised me every day for the past week, that tomorrow, he would take me to his job in the city and show me his work. He has made the promise to me for two weeks straight and left it unfulfilled since the first day I asked. Sure enough, he noticed my distress and placed his burly hand in my sweat matted hair and spoke to me in a reassuring tone.

"Don't worry son, I will take you to the city to see my profession when the time comes, until then you must stay here in the village and await my return."

I began to wonder what had him so busy that he could not take me to see his work. I didn't see the trouble in bringing me along if I wasn't a hindrance, but instead of prying I simply replied "Yes Papa" and sprinted off into the shallow neck of the woods to find my favorite stick, that I had whittled into the shape of a sword.

I had to use this wooden sword the primary amount of time, as my mother would not let me meddle with my iron one unless under the watch of my teacher Author. Author was a fit man, not very athletic, but fit. He was a close friend of my father, which is why he agreed to train me. From what I've heard, I have a lot of talent but I think they are just trying to be considerate.

_Hmm, now where did I leave it?_

I pondered the location as I reached the forests edge.

"Oh that's right, I left it just a little ways in, under a fig tree inside some brush!"

I enjoyed climbing around that specific tree and stored all of my prized possessions there. Don't ask me why I chose this certain tree, it was just easier to remember since it was near a small clearing. I left most of my things here because I wasn't taking any chances to allow my mother to snatch away the things to thought 'improper' for me to play with.

I began to recall the time when I was harshly scolded for practicing my swordplay with the little girl whom lives in the shack next to us. Although, they normally had no problem with him playing with toy swords so he could only wonder what the problem was then. She was my best friend; I recalled my mother and father yelling at me under their breath every time I went near my friend in front of them.

"Ah, Cera" I muttered to myself as I recalled memories of my friend as I walked. She was very unusual and I have never seen anyone like her in my fifteen years of life. She had a bright, emerald colored hair and her eyes; oh her eyes easily drew me into a trance every time I looked into them. I could stare into those beautiful amber eyes for days if I was able to. Even though she was five years younger than me, at ten years old I still found her horribly attractive. Although she really didn't understand those feelings from me, her best friend, or if she does she doesn't show it.

I snapped myself out of my thinking when I reached the tree in question. Then I quickly checked the brush next to it and rummaged through my items which were held in a very long, but not high off the ground, wooden crate. After about three minutes of rummaging, I noticed that my replacement sword was not there.

_Huh? That's weird…I know I left it right here…_

My thoughts were interrupted as I heard something to my right shuffling in the bushes. As I turned my attention toward the source of the noise I leapt in fright as a small figure pounced me with surprising force, slamming me to the ground.

I felt a jab of pain as my elbows slammed upon the ground. I began to panic and squirm and was just about to retaliate with force when suddenly all rational thought was forced from my mind and I fell into a familiar trance, as my aqua colored eyes met amber.

I don't know how long I sat there, it felt like an eternity when in reality it was probably only a few seconds before the smiling girl shouted directly into my face.

"Ha-ha, gotcha Callen!"

Then she clambered off me stood up triumphantly smiling as she pointed a very familiar wooden sword at me, holding it with both hands.

"Ouch! Not funny Cera! That hurt!" I whined as I stood up, smacking the wooden sword she had placed at my throat away, taking in the sight of my best friend.

She wore tattered old clothes that were ripped in some places, the same she had been wearing for….ever since I could remember, and yet she still looked entrancingly cute, to say the least.

She lived in the shack next to my house with Mr. Glint, her 'Master' so she calls him. She told me that she has to do whatever he says, whenever he says it or she gets severe punishment. Although I'd seen her abused by him for what seemed like no reason at all.

"Oh I'm sorry, you scraped your elbows, wanna go tell your mom?" She eyed me, eyebrows raised, with a mocking pouty face on.

"N-no!" I struggled under her intimidating gaze. Even thought she was only ten years old, the slim girl was a formidable wrestling opponent because she was so used to absorbing pain, and unfortunately she learned how to dish it out as well.

"Hey that sword is mine! Fork it over." I retorted as I reached out, snatching the wooden sword from Cera's hands as I stood again.

I had just started to survey the damage on my elbows when I noticed her reaction to the absence of her newly found weapon. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that I had already lost.

For now she dropped her taunting pouty look and replaced it with a real one.

"But, but I found it that's not fair. I found it" She said as tears began to rim her eyes.

"Yea well I made it, and all you did was find my stash and snatch it."

She slumped down onto the ground and began to cry, instantly making me feel bad for hurting my best friend's feelings, which trigged my desire to repent.

"Oh alright but only for today, don't forget to put it back so my mom doesn't get it."

"That's not working this time Callen! You better come up with something better than that!" she responded as she began to wail again.

"Okay! Okay! How about this, you can use anything I have in here anytime you want as long as you return it before you leave."

"Yay!" She cheered as she began to swing it around, her fake water works drying up instantly.

"Too easy Callen" she muttered swinging the sword around.

After a few minutes of watching her, falling into my trance again, she spoke again.

"You know Callie, your not as tough as the grown-ups say you are, you're just a big softie."

"Yea.....well….yea…."

_Only for you Cera. _ I thought to myself, knowing that even five years younger than me, Cera always won their arguments one way of another.

Just then I heard a booming voice from the village, so loud that it was almost crystal clear from all the way here, across a decently large field.

"CERA GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW, WHERE ARE YOU!"

I then recognized the voice, and grimaced in anger. Although I rarely heard that voice, I despised it and the person who owned it, it was Mr. Glint.

Cera's immediate reaction was to drop to the ground, curl up in a ball and shield herself, although she wasn't even near him at all.

_Poor Cera. _I thought to myself as I watched her reaction. He hits her for no reason at all and yet no one seems to care except me.

I remember a just a few days ago when I was going to sneak over to give Cera food through her window, which is now a daily chore since she says she doesn't get any from him. She was trying to give him his drink of hot flavored water he asked for and he suddenly slapped her to the floor, which caused her to fall and spill the boiling water upon herself.

Afterwards he promptly used this as a reason to further his abuse and kicked the poor girl in her stomach so hard that blood was dripping from her mouth after the blow.

I spent almost that whole night tending to her wounds after I had finally got her to sneak out when he was asleep.

Although I wanted to comfort her in some way, the stronger part of me just wanted to get away from her at this point. I truly didn't know why, normally I loved this chances to touch the person I liked so much, but this was different. My brain kept sending myself confused signals as to what to do. Then it finally snapped and I took a step back, and desperately flung my head around, searching for an excuse to get away when my ears found it for me.

"Callen Kurtz for the third time its time to come in for supper!"

I immediately recognized my mother's voice and stepped further away from Cera, afraid to be spotted near her in front of my mothers presence from the last time experience.

**_-FLASHBACK-_**

I was idly swinging around my favorite pastime in the world, as usual when I felt a tap on my back.

I instantly whirled around in reaction to see what had touched me, battle ready. Then my eyes softened as they were blessed with the sight of the girl I liked so much.

"Hey Callie!" said Cera directly in front of my face, but not losing any bit of her excited happy shouting voice.

"Uh, hey Cera, do you....wanna play with swords? I have an extra one...."

"Sure, but I don't think you can win." she said in a challenging voice.

We started to cross blades innocently, then after a few minutes it became a full on competition as wood sung and clashed through the air.

She had gotten much better as I had tutored her for several months in swordplay. Unfortunately not good enough as I disarmed her in a large offensive combination of dancing blows.

"Best two out of three?" was the only response I got as she headed over and picked up her sword again.

"Sure but you know it will be the same outcome."

"Hah! You wish!"

We had just begun round two as I heard the door clamor open from behind me.

I heard a gasp from my mother, and I knew from the sound of it, that I was in trouble.

"CALLEN STEWARDICE KURTZ! Just WHAT do you think you are doing? Get in the house right now!"

"Yes Mother, cya Cera" was my only bidding goodbye as I left her standing there, slightly disappointed.

"Callen I never want to see you near that girl again you understand me?" said my mother in a harsh but hushed tone.

"But why Mom?" She's really nice and she is the closest to my age in the whole village!" I whined.

"Because Callen, she's a slave girl, she shouldn't be hanging around any of the children in this village."

I pondered this and yet I came up with absolutely no reason in any rule book that said being a slave girl meant you couldn't hang around with other children, and even though she was a slave girl, does it even matter? I liked her, simple as that.

Although I replied with a sigh.

"Alright Mother, you'll never see me near Cera again"

Little did she know that my mind slyly thought up a scheme by playing around with her words.

_I could still play with Cera, she just couldn't SEE me playing with Cera._

This brought a grin to my face as I headed back to my room, to sneak out the window, and meet back up with my best friend.

**_-END FLASHBACK-_**

"I'm sorry Cera, I've got to go and eat, I'll save you some like I always do, promise!" I stated as I started to walk away.

"But-" she tried to speak to me, fear filling her voice as Mr. Glint called to her again.

He was angrier than ever, ensuring punishment for not immediately responding to his command.

"Sorry Cera! Bye!"

Then I ran......ran as fast as I could, leaving that beautiful emerald hair and those entrancing amber eyes behind me to their fate.

* * *

**Alright so there's the first chapter! Sorry I know it was very short, but hey it's my first story ever, I'll try to make the next chapter longer than this one. Although I feel a little more obligated to putting more detail into the characters backgrounds and history so you can get to know them better. So let me know what you think! **

**PLEASE REVIEW! I'll answer any questions as well!**

**I stress this because your reviews will fuel my fire to get on working on the next chapter as soon as I can! I can only get better with criticism so it is welcomed and appreciated! Maybe a little softness and gimme some compliments too :(**

~_**Alabastor89**_


	2. Chapter 2:Downpour

**Note from the Author: Sorry it took a while to get this finished, but a lot of things including my job kept me busy for quite a while, I probably won't be able to start on another chapter for about another week or so. So enjoy this as best you can! I tried to make it longer than the Prologue.**

**I fully revised this chapter, so it's quite different from the last time, personally I think its worth a re-read.**

**

* * *

  
**

Code Geass: Before it All Began

**Chapter 2: Downpour**

I walked about the village as usual, but with not with the same vigor as I usually outwardly shown. I was much too deep in thought for that.

"Hey Callen hows it goin? Asked nine year old Zavior when I walked by near his little group of four kids.

I didn't even comprehend he was speaking to me, I wouldn't have either had he not grabbed me by the shoulder and walked in front of me, waving his hand.

"Helloooo, Earth to Callen!"

"Huh? Wha?" My brain couldn't compute the face that was in front of me, it wasn't the face I had been thinking about so my brain considered it a nescience and irrelevant.

"Oh its you, I'm busy leave me alone" I said as I stepped around the boy and continued walking.

He simply stood there for a good ten seconds staring in my direction as my figure faded from view, shrugged, and went back into the huddle to continue with their scheme.

_Argh! I have to stop avoiding her sometime; I like her too much to simply ignore her!_

_I can't just walk up to her and say "Hey what's up Cera?" I completely abandoned her near the forest a couple days ago......_

I then began to wonder where everyone had gone, I looked around and the village was very much abandoned.

_Oh that's right the minstrels were coming to the outskirts of the village to perform today......_

Even though I wanted to go, I was just too worried that I would run into Cera. I truly did want to see her, but if she was upset with me it would ruin the whole experience of……that beautiful…emerald hair, those…..deep….wonderful amber eyes and that ringing voice….

"Alright that's it! I'm going to the festival and that's final!" I declared to the world. Unfortunately as soon as the courage came it disappeared in a flash.

"No No! I can't do it!"

"Oh yes I can!"

"No I cannnnt." she might be mad!

"Wait I found the strength" as I began to walk with a determined face.

"Oh no I don't its gone!" and I started to walk back.

-This went on for about twenty minutes-

"Okay! I'm one hundred percent sure this time! I'm going to that festival!" and I ran toward the festival before I could give myself time to eighty-seventh guess myself. As I finally made it to the festival, I found myself getting caught up in the celebration eventually, just going with the music. Then I decided to stray off, enough with the partying, I went back to the village.

It was starting to get dark and I was about to head back to my house but then I noticed an argument going on down the road, and a few more children running towards it. I couldn't really see what was going on, seeing as the confrontation was around the corner. I was going to ignore it and continue heading home until I heard that ringing bell voice.

"I said take it back!"

"No!" came the response

I floored it as fast as my feet could carry me over to the confrontation. Cera and my friend Zavior were wrestling and fighting on the ground. Everyone simply stood around watching intently, a few shouts of "Get her Zavior!" and "Go Zavior! Show her she can't tell you what to do!" filled the audience; you could tell that they were all on his side. Zavior finally pinned the Cera to the ground and some started throwing rocks which were targeted at the person he was holding still, wait……Zavior and Cera were fighting?!? My brain was slow to catch up on what was going on.

"You take it back right now or you're gonna regret it!" shouted Cera in a slightly choked voice as a rock hit her in the side of the face.

"Why? He is a big pushover! I'm not taking back what I said when it's true! He couldn't use a sword if his life depended on it!" then Zavior drew up a hand.

I had seen enough, I knew exactly what he was going to do, and he wasn't going to do it. Nor was I going to let him get away with trying to do it. I shoved several kids out of my way whom immediately stopped throwing rocks upon seeing me. I snatched his arm, stopping it dead in its tracks as it was dropping down to strike the girl he was strangling underneath. I tore him off of Cera and flung him across the ground, I straddled on top of him and started pounding his face, not holding back any force at all.

"Don't-you-ever-lay-a-hand-on-her-ever-again!" I said in between blows, he soon began to cry and blood started to cover his face. "Understand!?"

"Okayyyy, okayyy just stop hitting me! Please!"

I got off and walked away after a final kick to the gut, sending him into a coughing fit. I picked Cera up off the floor and carried her away from the crowd bridle style towards my house, since I was sure my parents were still at the festival. I took her inside and laid her on the couch and I sat down next to her.

"Are you okay Cera? Did they hurt you? What happened?" I asked concern filled my voice and I knew that my face copied it as I moved a strand of her beautiful deep emerald hair out of her face to get a full view of her eyes.

Her lips began to move but I didn't hear a thing, I was too intoxicated by those deep amber eyes, then before I knew it I was kissing her. She smacked my face repeatedly under my grasp and then one good final hard one truly made contact and made me realize what I was doing, and who I was doing it to, my ten year old best friend Cera Celeste. I immediately pulled back and tried to apologize but she was instantly off the couch and at the door.

"Cera wait!" I grabbed her arm. "Cera look I'm really sorry just please sit down, I promise I won't do anything like that again." Inwardly I was starting off where she left off, slapping myself cursing my teenage hormones that got out of control.

"Okay......" was her only response as she sat down in the chair, only then did I see that her face was completely flushed.

"Look Cera, I didn't mean to do that, it just kinda…happened. I'm calm now so why don't you tell me again what happened." I looked my most genuine smile I could to show that I was really paying attention this time.

"Okay......it was kind of stupid really, I was walking back my home to make my Master dinner before the festival, and I overheard some of the other kids making fun of you. Zavior said you were a horrible swordsman and he wouldn't take it back and we ended up fighting." Her blush of pink turned deep red in embarrassment.

I was shocked, truly shocked.

"You did all that…….for me? Oh Cera I lo- I mean, you're the best friend ever!" and I took her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Callie…….I……can't breathe" she managed to gasp out.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry." I released her, and then I heard the front door open. I snatched her up and ran into my room, opened the window and ushered her through.

"When will I see you again soon?" she asked with a desperate look in those…..amazing….amber eyes _Dammit Callen get a hold of yourself! _I thought as I heard footsteps in the hallway. I knew I only had about ten seconds to spare.

"You mean your not mad at me?"

"No why would I?"

"Alright then I'll sneak out and see you tonight! I've got to go!" and I shut the window. There was a knock on my door and I turned a full circle away from the window and pretended to be asleep so that when my mother peeked in, she only snuck up, gave me a kiss on the forehead, and left. I gave a great sigh…and let myself drift off to sleep.

I woke up to the sound of pounding rain…… _Oh my gosh how long was I out?? Its pitch black outside! I told Cera I would come and see her later tonight. Ugh it's pouring rain……but I have to go, I promised! _I started getting dressed in my usual clothes for rainy days. Two shirts, pants, and leather boots covered in cloth.

I started down the hallway for the door, crouched in a stealthy position, sneaking past my parents room. I finally reached the door, and then gave the ring handle a tug. It came open with a groan. I clamped my eyes shut and gave a grimace at the loud noise.

_Agh! Just great, father was always a light sleeper._

Yet he did not wake, to my satisfaction.

_Whatever he has been doing that has prevented him from taking me with him on his city runs has taken a lot out of him. _I thought as I slipped out the door into the cold, rainy pitch black blanket of the night, shutting the old wooden door behind me.

I walked through the rain quite hastily, hoping that she wasn't already fast asleep, my clothes were soaked by the time I reached the shack, which is saying a lot since her house was right across the dirt path from mine. I decided it was a really bad idea to knock on the door, so I snuck over to the shacks single window that I used so many times to spy……nevermind that. Anyway, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was a little……off. I stepped up upon the ledge so I could have a clear view into the window, which normally provided a good view of the kitchen.

_Ugh how could I be so stupid, of course, its night how am I supposed to see......_ but the thought faded off as a single candle burned allowing a decent sight into the shack.

By first sight, my thoughts were shock and disbelief, but fear didn't take long to follow as my eyes fed my brain a horribly grim display.

_Oh my god, wha-what is going on. Is what I'm seeing real?_

The dim candlelight reflected deep crimson upon the floor, bloody handprints on the walls, and the blood was smeared in a wide trail leading deeper into the shack, into unpierced darkness. I stumbled away from the window and nearly fell, but regained my balance at the last second.

_Oh no, this is not good, what…what could have happened, is she hurt? Is she....._ I shunned and deflected the thought, not allowing it to reach my mind. I knew right away that fear was not a very supportive emotion right now and tried my best to suppress it. I have to be brave, and find out what's going on in there.

_There's no way I'm going in there unarmed. _I thought to myself.

"No, I have no time to waste, If she's in danger I need to help her immediately."

As I reached the door. I reached out to the ring handle and after I had it in my grasp the fullness of the situation hit me and I hesitated.

_Come on Callen, come on! Don't be a coward! You're the best fighter in this village what do you have to fear?_

I latched myself onto those thoughts, held my breath, and gave myself no more room to think as I pushed open the door. I forced myself to walk into the darkness and shut the door behind me, shutting out the unwavering rain. I heard someone's breathing suddenly stop.

_Had they heard me enter? Can they see me? _I nearly jumped as I saw a small glint of amber reflect off the small candlelight near the window that I had seen earlier.

"Ca….Callie?" asked a shaken voice from the darkness that my eyes slowly adjusted to.

I recognized the voice immediately and responded.

"Cera? Where are you? Are you okay?"

I was shocked when I felt something instantly hug around my waist.

"Oh Callen! Im sorry! Im so sorry I didn't mean to!" she cired into my stomach.

"Whoa, hey hey hey slow down, you didn't mean to do what? What happened?" I asked trying to sound comforting.

"He…he…was…and I…oh Callen please don't tell anyone! I don't want to get into trouble!" her amber eyes boring into mine wide and desperate. I instantly recognized those eyes….I had seen them when I was fighting my trainer Arthur, his eyes in the midst of battle……..the eyes of a killer. Then I felt something pushing against my back, slightly poking. I realized she was clutching a knife, and the reality of the danger I was in if she chose to wield it. Then I remembered whom it was I was talking to, and she wouldn't hurt me, would she?

"Ssh, its okay Cera, just put the knife down and tell me what happened."

I heard metal clatter to the floor behind me as she looked up at me.

"I….I killed Master Callen! I killed him! It wasn't my fault though! He…he came home from the festival, he was very drunk and his beatings were different. He was truly angry with me, he was going to kill me Callen! I had to do it Callie I had to!" My expression betrayed me and I knew it as her expression changed to a truly afraid look, as if I was a monster.

"Your not gonna tell anyone, are you Callie? Please don't tell anyone!"

_I can't believe this is happening. My best friend murdered the person living with her, and now she is practically asking me to help her cover up the incident! _Yet my only response was "I won't tell anyone Cera, let's take his body to the forest and bury it."

"O…….okay" she said back and her arms left my waist as she walked over and grabbed the plate with a candle centered on it and brought it over to the body. I looked upon the body, it disgusted me, as he always had. _Several stab wounds, it seems like she retaliated quite viciously. _My confidence given the situation raised a little in a sick way, knowing that my tips of swordplay helped her accomplish this as I began to drag Mr. Glint's body.

After a good three hours, Cera and I stood over a mound of dirt in the rain that had weakened to a mere mist. A new resting place for her 'Master'.

"Cera" I said shakily.

"We should go into the forest, now".

"What? Why?" she said as she watched me with a questioning look. I didn't respond, I just continued to watch across the field as people started to gather outside the shack, obviously discovering the blood and absence of the people who lived there.

"Only I need to leave, you can go back Call-" but I cut her off.

"No Cera, we both have to go, you will be blamed and I will be suspected as of my absence at home, not to mention I'm with you instead of being at the murder site like everyone in the village was now present at" I stated.

"Besides, you can't take care of yourself, I'll have to help you." I said smiling.

_Oh my god what is wrong with me, am I truly smiling after all that has just happened?_ I was truly disgusted with myself and I wouldn't be surprised if she was too, and yet I got a warming smile in return.

"Alright Callen, we will go together." Cera said simply.

We hadn't gone far before we stumbled upon an old chapel in a small clearing, although we hadn't gone far into the woods, it seemed as if we were in the deepest part of the woods already as we couldn't see anything outside the clearing from the thick growth around the chapel.

"Stay here, I'll go and check it out" I told her. She agreed and stayed behind and I made my way across the small clearing to the door. The door was very large, easily stacking two or three of me to make the height of the full door. I grabbed the handle and it came open surprisingly easy, although it gave a mighty groan that could have shaken the forest to bits. I slipped inside but left the door cracked open behind me. I took a look around. Even though it looked quite old with growth all over it from the outside, on the inside it looked quite new. There was even an opening in the center for a fire pit.

"This is perfect for us to stay here, as long as we can find food and some blankets for the coming winter, we could live here as long as we wanted!"

I felt arms wrap around my waste and a slim body squeezed itself up against my back.

"Thank you Callen, for everything you've done for me."

I don't know if she knew it, but she put me and herself in a very dangerous position. I loved the way her body felt, the way her skin felt…….the way it felt to comb my fingers through her hair…..

_Grrrr snap out of it Callen don't let your hormones get the best of you!_ I told myself as I pried her arms off my waste.

"I've got a lot of work to do, and quite a few things I need to get from the village, including clothes and my sword, but I need you to stay here while I go, and if you can try and find something to make for food. I'll bring plenty of food back for us, but it would be great if we had something to eat right away when I get back-"

"Say no more Callie! I know how to hunt as good as you do! I'll have some food for us in no time! You just go ahead and go get what we will need so we won't freeze, ha-ha."

_As good as me huh? I bet there are things your body could do much better than me….. oh my god I'm such a pervert! _I tore my eyes away from her hips and spoke.

"Alright, I'll hold you to that!" and I raced out the doors, back towards the village before I lost control of myself.

**-Nightfall-**

I was almost on my way back when I saw a light glow from the forest to the right of the chapel, I went toward it like a moth to the flame…..following it. I continued on and I stumbled upon a enchanting sight.

Cera was in a spring……taking a bath……with…..no clothes on….and for even though I knew she was only ten she was surprisingly…..well……developed.

_Argh! I'm peeping on my best friend what is wrong with me!_

"Callen is that you?" I heard her ask looking in my direction; she pushed herself into deeper water so I could no longer see her breasts.

"Y-Yea….its me, sorry I didn't know you would be here." I found the source of the light, several candles she had set around the spring.

"I found them in the chapel……you should get in, you're really dirty" she giggled looking at my dirt and blood caked clothes.

_Did she just ask me to get in the water with her??? With Cera? The one I'm horribly attracted to? Does she have any idea how dangerous that could be? No……I would never try anything like that, and I am kind of dirty…._

I began to peel off my clothes, but she didn't look away. She just kept staring.

"Uhm…do you mind?" I asked her after my shirt , pants and boots were all peeled off.

"What? I……I wanna see." She giggled and turned a bright red. "I'm sorry I'll look away." She said quickly and looked away.

_Whoh….she wanted to see me naked? Is this the Cera Celeste I know? _I thought as I walked into the water, my boxers gone and I started to clean myself off, the spring felt so nice….so warm…..soft….wait, the water doesn't reach up to my back and….water isn't soft.

"Mmm, you're a lot warmer than the water." I heard Cera say from directly behind me.

"Whoa! Cera what are you doing?" I said and I pulled myself away from her.

"Oh I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?"

"What?" I asked.

"Well I thought you liked me, and since we ran off together I figured I was your girlfriend."

"Wha-What? You? My girlfriend?" I let out a hearty laugh.

"What's so funny? Is it that sad to think myself as your girlfriend?" She said fiercely. She had definitely taken my laugh the wrong way, and my female instinct, turned defensive.

"No no Cera, I would love if you were my girlfriend! I laughed because it would just be too good to be true. You have no idea how much I'm attracted to you, I could go on with a list forever." I said and turned bright red.

"Well why don't you start?" she said hugging onto me again, but from the front this time.

I let out a groan of pleasure and she backed off, knowing that she overstepped her bounds, and that I couldn't focus with her that close to me, especially naked with I could feel her…..place…..and breasts rubbing up against me.

"Sorry, I….I just got a little carried away, you should finish your bath, I'll see you back at he chapel." and with that, she walked out of the water, picked up her clothes, and only stayed long enough to wash the clothes she had worn all day, while I bathed. I can't say I didn't sneak a peak or two of her figure, but I knew it was wrong so I kept my eyes diverted most of the time. I didn't know how I was going to break it to her that we could only be friends, no matter how much I wanted it. After a cleansing bath, I got out of the water and dressed myself in a spare change of clothes, lugging the old ones back to the chapel.

_I'll get the food from now on, she can do the laundry._ I know it was very stereotypical of me, but I couldn't help it, cleaning wasn't one of my strong points.

We sat in front of the roaring fire, in the middle of the church. We were both sitting on blankets, but unlike Cera I was lying down on mine with a pillow, watching her eat the last of a rabbit she had caught earlier that day while I was away. After about ten minutes I started to doze off while Cera sat on the opposite side with a blank expression on her face, just staring into the fire. I reflection of the fire in her eyes was beautiful, her blank expression made her look so determined and slightly angry that one could only wonder if she looked away from the fire if it would still be in her eyes, as if it came from the inside.

I know I was dozing off because my right eye was getting lazy and was closed more than the other. I started to slip in and out of consciousness, which easily warped my judgment of how much time had passed. Before I knew it I was fast asleep, in the world of dreams.

-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l

_I walked through a desolate village square, darkness mixed with flame enveloping everything around except for straight ahead of me. I didn't know where I was or what was going on. I was so scared as I looked to my left and right, seeing demonic looking creatures lurking in the fire, they shouted at me, beckoned me to stop and allow them to catch up, instead I started to run. I didn't know where I was going or for how long I ran. All I wanted was to get away from whatever those things were that were chasing me. Then I spotted him, he was looking at me from a distance with a worried look on his face as he drew a sword from its sheath and grasped in both hands, centered with him vertically. I ran behind him, begging him to save me from whatever they were. He told me to run, so I did, I ran and ran, and when I looked back I was horror struck. He was covered in blood, looking at me with a smiling face as he fell to his knees; the demonic shadows were all around him as I screamed. I screamed so long my voice was taken away from me as my lungs burned, and when I had to stop to get a breath I didn't continue screaming, instead I focused on looking out to watch what was going on. The demons were leaving him in cold blood on the ground, as if they had gotten what they wanted. I began to scream again as I rose from the ground and ran to him. I hadn't even known I'd fallen in the first place, I couldn't recall it. I reached him and grasped his bloody body in both hands and smothered myself on his chest crying. I begged him not to die, to stay with me. All my pleading and his only reply was *********** What? I couldn't hear him; I know he is talking but no noise reached my ears. I asked him to say it again, he only laughed at the question, but his breath was cut short……his eyes closed, the hand that was holding mine went limp. He was dead._

-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-

I could have sworn I heard a scream, it completely ruined my dream as it faded out to darkness, and I was now vaguely awake. I refused to open my eyes. I didn't want to take up yet. Although I felt something different about the way I was lying. I no longer slept upon my back, but I was lying sideways, my arms were wrapped around a figure. I began to explore it, feeling the rises and falls of it, and then I heard a gasp as my hand reached a slope. I moved my hand from right to left and found two walls blocking movement in each direction; I lazily opened one eye to find that what I had been exploring was Cera's body. She was gasping because my hand was in between her legs; I immediately retracted it stealthily, trying to act as if I was still asleep. It obviously had worked because she simply cuddled up tighter to my chest and seemingly went back to sleep after her heartbeat slowed down to a normal rate.

**-Daylight-**

I had woken up early, I could tell because there was still little light coming through the chapel window. I had awoken early today to check the traps for any poor creature who was unalert enough to stumble into it overnight, and I needed extra time to dress into extra snow gear.

I was in luck as one of the four traps held a snow hare, lucky because normally they held nothing.

_I must be getting better at this _I thought to myself cheerfully as I headed back to our chapel. No need to hunt now, and I finally got Cera doing the laundry so I could immediately tend to my catches when I returned home.

_Although in truth it was about three months ago, it felt like yesterday that Cera had sought out comfort in my embrace. I brought it up to her that day and she said she had a nightmare. It's been very hard to sleep lately, she cries out in her sleep a lot, some of the things she speaks of are truly disturbing, in a frightening way. I often wake up now with her cradled up to my chest, sleeping soundly. Although it is very uncomfortable for me, I allow her to do it as long as it keeps her from having the nightmares every time she closes her eyes._

About a half hour later I was broke out of my stupor of thought when I heard a horribly loud groan of the chapel door, sure enough, Cera poked her head through the door and then stepped in, closing it behind her. She practically tumbled through our doorway with fresh but slightly frozen looking clothes.

"I finally finished washing the clothes! My hands are frozen!" She declared as she set them near the fire, took off her extra layers of clothes and her boots, and plopped down in front of the blaze.

"Mmm, that smells good, what did you catch?"

I responded almost immediately "A single snow hare, but I mixed it with a few vegetables that I nabbed from the village when I snuck down there to get extra supplies; and made a stew, I hope you don't mind."

She smiled cheerfully "Not at all, can you get me some?" "Of course here, I'll have to go back to the village again if I-"

I head the sounds of footsteps upon the wooden floor causing the floorboards to groan in complaint. Luckily I hadn't peeled down my clothes as Cera had, I got to my feet to see three men in black jumpsuits, riddled with tears and patches where they had repaired some of the damage to the clothes. "Bandits" I hissed to myself taking in the sight of the rugged men.

"Hey there, would you mind giving us that food we smell?" He smiled slyly "All of it, now."

I returned his demand with the fiercest face I could muster and retorted "I don't want any trouble; all of you should leave before you get hurt."

All of them responded with a great laugh at this "Quite a mouth you got there don't you boy? Well we are just gonna have to shut it for you aye?" He said as they drew there blades and surrounded me on three sides. I looked back in concern for the small girl sitting near the fire with wide eyes as if a ghost had appeared in front of her.

"Cera, why don't you go into the back room of the chapel and boil us some clean water for us to drink?" I asked calmly. I didn't want her to see what was going to happen to these men, I didn't want her to see me like that; what I was capable of doing to another human-being. She complied and quickly started to shuffle back towards the back of the chapel in the direction of a door.

"Aye lass! Where are you goin? Come on stay, we will have some fun with yeh after we finish with your boyfriend here!" The second man said, stepping forward with a smirk on his face. He stopped when he heard the *szring* of my sword leaving it's sheathe.

I had indeed drawn my own blade. I was focused on them, learning there stances, the way they moved in stance and what hand they used their swords in. I smiled and tossed my sword from my right hand to my left, and waited. The third ruffian, whom was on my right side, lunged just as I predicted with his hyped behavior. His blade sung through the air and I swung my own, making a mighty clash. I slid my blade down to the hilt of his, straightened it, and stabbed past his own and straight into his chest.

With any skilled swordsman this would have spelled death for me for I made I clear opening upon myself as well, but I had judged correctly, his reflexes were slow. A horrible cry of sheer pain pierced my ears as I withdrew my blade to block the blow from behind, giving me no time to recover the second swung as well.

"You'll die for killing our friend!" he shouted into my face, thinking thought himself triumphant as his partner's blade swung toward me.

I smirked at their horrible tactics and swordplay, and simply grabbed hold of the ruffians hands in front of me by the hilt and pulled it left, using his own blade to block his comrades. I then yanked his sword away and knocked him to the ground, immediately following that with a pivot to the right and an attack on the other recovering vile fool whom believed they would ever put a hand on my beautiful Cera. Blood lashed through the air along with my sword from the first victim to fall in the battle, and that blood soon mixed with a second victim as I lopped his head off. His body slumped to the floor and his head rolled until it came to a stop staring with dead eyes at the final bandit. I stumbled backwards to his feet, face twisted in fear. He was unarmed and threw accusations at me.

"You! You are not human! You're a damned demon, that's what you are!" he continued stumbling backwards towards the door until he caught my attention and I started in his direction. He dropped to his knees and began to beg.

"P-P-Please no! Demon spare me I beg yeh, spare my life I- URGH!" his pleading silenced as my blade found its mark. It had been resting at my side, blood dripping from its tip, but now since I had made my move; lunging it forward effortlessly ending the mans life as it found a new sheathe. The blade now had entered through the bottom of the mans head and protruded out from the top, blood spurting all the while. I placed my foot upon his chest and with a hearty yank, withdrew my veteran blade.

I heard the sound of breaking glass. I immediately turned to the sound battle-ready with a fierce expression upon me from the heated battle. My eyes were met with the sight of Cera standing over a pile of broken glass covered in water that she had finished. Her face shown over a terrified look at the grim sight before her.

_Had she truly not known that this was what was going to happen in her absence? _This brought remembrance that she truly was just a child, pure and unknowing. She had never seen this side of me before, possibly a hint of it in our spares but never the brutality she witnessed her with a slaughtered an unarmed man. _I killed an unarmed man……what kind of monster am I…….what……am….I…..what….. _

I dropped to my knees and let me sword fall to my side and let out a mighty roar to the ceiling, a testament to the gods as I tried to figure myself out. "WHAT AM I!! WHY HAVE YOU PUT ME HERE! WHAT HAVE I DONE? IM A MURDERER!" I began to shout again, slamming my hands to the ground in anger, I let my head drop to the floor. Then I looked upon my hands, they were covered in blood, I now knelt in blood from the headless body only a few feet away. My chest had blood sprayed in trails across it and blood dripped from my bangs. I was covered in it.

Her face was even more fear within it after watching my tantrum. Instead of trying to comfort her, I stood…..slowly since my head felt light and my legs felt like they were pure iron bolted to the floor. I struggled to walk, but when I did I began to clear the corpses to the door, then dumping them outside. I got water from outside and used one of the spare blankets to soak up the blood upon the floor. I took the bodies further into the forest and then came back to retrieve the blanket I left on the floor to finish the job. I picked it up and it felt at least ten pounds heavier. I reached the door and opened it once again. I stopped in front of it and stood for several seconds.

"I'm sorry" was the only thing that escaped my lips as I ushered myself completely out the door and closed it behind me.

I bathed myself in the spring after cleaning the blanket. I wore my now clean but soaked clothes back to the chapel. It was now nearly nightfall and I couldn't wait to get to the fireside. I was half-frozen from the winter air when I finally walked through the door with a now clean and sheathed blade at my waist.

Cera was by the fire but she immediately stood up in fright when her eyes laid upon me. I tried to walk over to her but she stepped away when I reached out. I felt as if I had just been slapped, I had just fought a life or death battle to protect us, and she repays me with neglect?

"So your afraid of me now are you?" I asked glumly with a hint of edge to it that I couldn't keep out of my voice as I slumped down beside the fire.

"When……I came out from the back, I thought the blood that you were covered in was yours. I thought you were going to die! Never do that to me again!" she said as her hand made contact with my head. "And no, I'm not afraid of you, I'm just afraid that I'm going to lose you!"

_Afraid to……..lose me? _"Why would you care? I'm a monster. I killed that man in cold blood Cera. He couldn't even defend himself, he was begging for his life!" I practically shouted at her. It had no effect and she came back just as fiercely "Is that what this is about!? You think you're a monster because you killed a man whom probably would have slit our throats in our sleep if he had the chance? He would have come back Callen! You did the right thing……"

_Ugh…..she's right, once again she wins the argument. Oh damn I'm freezing._ I shivered, then began to strip off my clothes. I gave no heed to the fact that Cera was a mere twelve feet away from me. I stripped bare naked and began to redress in dry clothes. I laid out my blanket in front of the fire that she had restarted while I was gone to stave off the oncoming night. When I went for her blanket she stopped me.

"Do you think….maybe I can sleep with you tonight? I mean, without having to keep myself awake until you doze off and sneak into your arms? I don't want to have any nightmares about what happened." I was surprised she wanted to be anywhere near me after she had seen what I could do, but I replied with a simple answer. "Sure." I laid down and held my arms out for her, she lowered herself into my arms and I pulled the blankets over us. She snuggled up against my chest as I normally found her when I woke every morning. She closed her eyes and within minutes she was asleep, leaving me to be tortured by the screams of the men I had killed, ones pleas for survival echoing in my ears. The feeling of slight resistance and the sound of my sword piercing his head ending his cries for life. I would have screamed out loud at the voices in my head to stop had I not wanted to wake Cera. I started to doze off into sleep to be haunted by the screams and cries and faces of those I had killed today.

_It is I who will be having the nightmares tonight, my beautiful Cera. _Was my final thought as I fell asleep with Cera breathing peacefully in my protective grasp.

* * *

**All right so there's Chapter 2, I hoped you liked it I was very tired when I started it and it took me all night to finish so…..yeah!**

**I probably won't be able to get out another chapter for about a week or so, so sorry to those whom are waiting for it. I'm seeing the alerts from people putting me on story alert but no reviews? Come on guys even if I know your waiting for it, I get discouraged when I don't get any reviews. It only takes a few seconds to drop off a review with a simple "I like your story can't wait for the next chapter, or a simple 'Keep it up'. Please do so!**

**As I said before I did try to make the chapter longer than Prologue, humor me I'm still getting some practice in. If you didn't know already, Cera is C.C. (Cera was the name they were intending to name her in the first place but they scrapped it and decided to never let the viewer find out her true name.) I'm trying to capture a little bit of C.C.'s personality before the horrible events that destroyed her emotions and caused her to put up her indifferent emotional front, but its not that easy since.....well....I don't know what her personality was like beforehand. As for her last name I just made it up to go along with her initials 'C.C.'**

**R&R**

_**~Alabastor89**_


	3. Chapter 3:Life Goes On

**Alright here it is! Chapter 3. Sorry it took so long to get it out but I've been quite busy. Yes I know it took alot longer than my estimated time in my last chapter. Also, ignore the review by Alabastor92 - As my email magically popped into my mind so I'm back. (Ducks for cover)**

* * *

Code Geass: Before it All Began

**Chapter 3: Life Goes On**

_Why? Why did this have to happen? Why did it have to be this way? Why did fate see fit to take you away from me? You were my only friend! Hot tears stroke down my face as I looked upon her. A new kind of pain searing deep inside my chest. The pain of loss was simply too overwhelming to pay attention to it. So overbearing that I paid no mind to the crimson liquid that seeped from within me and began to soak into the floorboards of the place we thought the world of, and had now became her final resting place. The last of my streangth was fading away, self-preservation kicked in as one thought screamed in my mind; I had to get away from here………….far away._

Suddenly, I felt a horrible stinging pain on my face, and then the flesh that had caused it. I quickly opened my eyes reached for my sword in instinct to find it not in its' usual place. I couldn't feel my right arm, thoughts raced through my head. Had it been cut off in my sleep by some bandit and I had yet to realize the pain? No, reality and common sense began to kick in as I remembered where I was. I was no longer in that hell, surrounded by souls that cried for veangeance, no longer being cornered as the fingers of death reached out for me. I was snugged inside blankets, the beautiful sun's rays streaking though the colored windows of our chapel, disbanding in several warped but entrancing colors. Our chapel…….the other, of that thought I realized that certain other had just slapped me, and it hurt, a lot.

"Ouch. What did you do that for?" I mumbled, to my own surprise, in a surpisingly mellow tone considering the pain induced.

Now I knew the reason why my right arm was asleep, Cera was lying on it.

"I've been trying to wake you up for nearly a half-hour. I didn't know what else to do." she said and then simply laid there, staring for a full minute waiting for a response.

I sighed audibly "Well?"

"I'm hungry, you need to make something" she said frankly.

"What, me? I thought you were the one who did the cooking!"

"Can't you do it for once?"

_Man where did this come from? I'd better not push it or she might hit me again. My face hasn't recovered from the first one I don't want another…_

"You know I cant leave my arm here, you have to get off before I can move."

She held herself up on her elbow so I could move my arm. I sat up and lazily rubbed my eyes as I dragged myself up to my feet. _Alright lets see what's in here… _I thought as I opened up the crate that used to store my favorite things, now storing our food supply. I stared into the box disapprovingly. _We don't have anymore smoked meat...I didn't want to have to go check the traps this early since it'll be colder than normal, but I guess I don't have a choice._

"Hurry up."

"Yeah yeah, Im going Im going. Just give me a few minutes to get my stuff around, where's my sword?"

"I moved it away last night so you wouldn't go crazy and stab me in your sleep." She said in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Mmm, well I need it so I can get the job done while I'm still awake. It'll be cleaner that way." I joked as she gave me a shove in the arm.

"It's over by the door, now get moving you crazy girl-killer." She joked back as I went over to the door. I strapped my sword to my waist and opened up the oversized creaky door, but left it open behind me to let the light shine into the chapel.

I stumbled lazily though the forest, still groggy from only waking up moments before. I would have stepped into one of my traps if I hadn't saw a rabbit lying in it, neck snapped.

_Ugh I'm really getting tired of having hares every day, especially since we ran out of seasoning a long time ago. _I thought to myself as I yanked the rabbit out of the neuce. I then reset the spring-trap and headed back to the chapel. A ten minute walk that I had half-conciously walked just fifteen minutes before took a little more patience since my brain was a more concious for the ride. As I neared the chapel I felt the hairs rise on the back of my neck, as if I felt an instinct that something was wrong. I walked quicker to reach the door, it was still wide open and I could see Cera sitting a distance away from a small fire, bathed in the late afternoon sunlight. I was happy the feeling was wrong.

"Took you long enough." She said in a criticizing tone.

"Then don't slap me awake in morning." I said in the same tone, she instantly killing my mood.

"Hey it was just this one time! Besides I was starving and you wouldn't wake up…." She gave a hand-motion to demonstrate her new wake- up call tactics.

"Well keep it up and I'll have to hack you like those bandits…….." I trailed off as I knew the subject was still sore. No matter how hard she tried to hide it I know that side of me scared her, her eyes had bulged a little at what I said as if she had taken it seriously, but were back to normal after I closed the distance and laid my hand on her shoulder.

"Hey I'm-"

"No. Don't say it."

"But-"

"You didn't do anything wrong Callen, don't ever think otherwise." She said in a comforting tone, placing her hand on mine.

_Wait a second how did this comfort session get turned around on me? Besides when did a ten-soon-to-be-eleven-year-old get so smart? _I thought as she snatched the rabbit out of my other hand and went over to prepare it for cooking.

We sat late into the afternoon just quietly staring into the fire. I would glance over to my side to see what she was doing from time to time, and every time she was just staring at me. Staring at me as if she couldn't trust me if she turned her back. _Did she really take what I said that badly? I don't know, but what I do know is I've gotta fix this. But how… _Suddenly she spoke-

"Do you think they miss you?"

_What? What's she…oh. I never really thought about it until now. They're probably worried sick about me. _She could obviously tell what I was thinking, god knows how.

"You could always go back you know, I'll be fine on my own."

I didn't know what to think. She's never given me this kind of treatment before. It seemed way too cold to be the Cera I know.

"Why are you acting like this? I thought we were friends, what's on your mind? It's only the two of us if somethings bothering you then you might as well spit it out because I'm the only one you've got to talk to."

"You ran away with a murderer. Why would you do that? You had so much ahead of you, everyone thought you were bound to become some almighty king and blah blah blah."

_Wow that's a pretty deep question coming from a ten-year old…I was thinking along the lines of –We havn't sparred in a long time and I'm really bored- or something like that._ I had to think about it, and after a good five minutes of silence I could only find one answer.

"Because we're friends, and friends look out for eachother, right? You don't think I'd let them catch my best friend reguardless of what you've done." She seemed quite surprised by my answer. I can only wonder if she expected me to say "You're right, bye." and walk out on her.

"Callen…thanks." She said in a slightly happier tone. Nevertheless, that night when we were getting ready to go to sleep I noticed my sword was already well out of my reach. I didn't mean scare her like that, but it can only be expected I suppose. I laid back and began to close my eyes, and felt Cera cuddling up to my side as usual. _I havn't gotten to look at here eyes very often lately. I'll have to try and get her to keep eye contact somehow, maybe something dumb like a staring contest… _it was my final thoughts before I slipped into slumber.

l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-ll-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-ll-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-ll-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-ll-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l

"We searched everywhere, I'm sorry but we can only assume he's no longer in the area."

The five sat in the shabby living room of the home that recently had lost an occupant. The father, silent but worried. The mother, distressed and prying.

"Are you sure you looked everywhere? There's nowhere you could have missed? You just havn't looked hard enough he wouldn't go that far for this long I'm sure!" she cried as grief overtook her.

After a moment of silence. "We'll take one more sweep of the surrounding area. If we don't find him then there's nothing we can do to help you. Just know that the time draws near when this place will fall under their eyes." The three men took their leave of the broken family. The father continued to sit in silence, the fire reflected from his eyes as he watched it. Finally he spoke-

"He ran off with that girl, you know."

The mother stopped her crying to respond with a start "Callen wouldn't do that I told him time and time again to stay away from that girl! He would listen to me he knows I was just trying to do what's best for him. You know that girl's unstable and-" he interrupted

"We know she's unstable, but does Callen? Never once would we ever give any of his questions a straight answer we should have seen this coming. It was our responsibility to share the truth but instead we hid it from him." Only silence followed, she didn't have the will to argue anymore. She just sat there, crying into her hands while he returned to his silent stupor.

l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-ll-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-ll-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-ll-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-ll-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l l-l-l

_Grrr….._ "You know I can't meditate when you're walking in circles around me like that." I said as I sat, cross-legged on a tree stump near the chaple. I only earned a truly aggrivating response from the natural curiousity of another human being that was Cera.

"What's meditate?" she said. It was a true question, you could tell the earnasty from her voice, although I preferred to keep my eyes shut and attempt to focus.

"Meditation is a mental discipline by which I turn my attention to a single point, in an attempt to get beyond my reflexes into a deeper state of concentration. Let me stress the fact that I am supposed to turn my attention to a single point and that means not you." I said trying to keep the edge out of my voice.

"Why?"

"………………"

"………………so I can polish my skills and better hone my swordsmanship"

"Why?"

_You have to be f*cking kidding me… _"So I can chop up annoying little runts like you." and with that, I decided now was a good time to open my eyes because I was no longer sitting on the tree stump. I was in mid-flight, straight to the ground due to being shoved off by you-know-who.

_This might hurt a bit._I thought as my faced planted itself nicely into the ground. Not as painful as I thought it would be, as least the ground was soft; but the dirt would mean a bath much sooner than what I expected. "Is that your new hobby?" I asked coldly, climbing back onto the stump.

"You're a jerk Callen!" and with that she ran off back inside the chapel.

_I didn't even know she knew that word. I'd better go talk to her…_ I slipped off the stump, this time on my feet, and walked inside. _I don't even know what to say, I guess apologize? She's the one that decided to push me off though. _"H-hey Cera?"

"Go-away" she responded coldly sitting with her legs pulled up to her chest.

"Hey come on don't pout, I'm sorry okay? I won't say anything like that again."

"…………Promise?"

"Promise." I tried to give a genuine smile even thought it felt a little see-through to me.

"Fine, you have to cook tonight though!" she said as she smiled cleverly back.

"Wha-again? I just cooked yesterday morning!" _Are you kidding me? She's gonna make me cook because she pushed me off a stump while asking me annoying questions? This is insane…_

"Well if you keep acting like a jerk and handing out fake apologies you're going to be cooking every night. Now go and get some food please." she said as she walked by me tracing a finger over my arm. She began to make a fire in the usual spot.

"Oh and get some firewood, and clean the clothes while you're out."

_WHAT! When did she become the boss!? No way am I doing her jobs. _"Now you see here, if you think-"

"Today's my birthday, please?" I looked for a sign of falsitility, but found none. Her eyes, facial expression, if she was lying she was damn good at it for her age. _Why didn't she tell me today was her birthday until now? Geez…the things I put up with._

I gave an audible sigh "Fine, I'll be back later." I gave an about face and headed to the door.

"Thanks Callen!" she called.

"Hey no problem! It's your birthday right?" I said as I headed out the door, closing it behind me.

"Story of my life…"

* * *

**There's chapter 3! I know it was alot shorter but I really couldn't think of what to base it on because I didn't want to move through the story too quickly. To me it seemed more dwalding around in the same old same old, but I wanted to find some way to implement his hometown back into the story. If it seems rushed it's because it was, I had a spur of the moment writing desire and I didn't want to shirk it off and never start up the story again.**

**Tyler Ci Britannia: Thanks for the compliment. He does kinda seem like he's falling for her but in reality he's really young and his feelings are confused. The relationship, if I drag it out instead of falling straight into the action I have planned, would be more of a big brother - little sister kinda thing.**

**spiritofwater:Wow thank you so much! Coming from someone with a great story yourself gives me a big head. xD**

**Vizardlord7:Thanks! I'm trying to keep myself on the ((I want to write this story)) train of thought.**

**Blackhacker999:Thank you, I'll do my best in getting chapters up. Most of the time after I post a chapter and I re-read it I end up hitting something I don't like or want to change. It's a bad habit of mine.**

**Alabastor92:BEGONE UNEEDED ACCOUNT! As for the review part, I agree with myself. (would be weird if I didn't.) O_o**

**Suggestions for future chapters? Pointers? Better chapter names? Story requests? Let me know!**

**R&R**

**~Alabastor92**


	4. Chapter 4:Discovery

**Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. **

**I must admit I had started to lose interest in writing this story, but I'm determined to finish it, so no worries I'm not going to leave anyone hanging! Nothing I hate more then when someone makes a story thats interesting to me and never finishes it!**

* * *

Code Geass: Before It All Began

**Chapter 4:Discovery**

'_Grrr…I chipped it again.'_ I tossed the ruined piece of wood off to the side and started to survey the old opening by my favorite tree once again.

'_It sure is hard to find a decent piece of wood around here lately, It needs to be thick enough to-ah, this should work!' _I thought as I picked up a small sheet of wood.

'_It looks thick enough, and wide enough, yeah this is probably the best one I found yet! I'd better not mess up again.'_

A charm, that's what I was aiming for. I just couldn't decide on what to make it look like! I'd spent hours sitting here throwing several terrible ideas away mid-process and broke a few I thought would be good. Then again, after they were broken, I had second thoughts about them anyway. I sat myself down and began another brain storm.

A butterfly – '_She's not that kinda girl Callen don't be stupid_.'

A heart _– Way too cheesy, and it might send the wrong message_.

A sword- '_Might as well say I'd be killing her with that, she'd probably eventually trip and it could lodge into her chest and break off a bone that could impale her heart and, bah, I would just be worrying myself of murdering her if I handed her something like that _.'

A cross – '_She doesn't even know what religion is….I think.'_

"Argh! Why do I always overthink things?" I said in frustration as I threw my hands up in the air. "Oh great now I'm talking to myself and I've proven to myself that I don't know Cera as well as I thought, way to go genius." I was at a standstill, I had already done everything else she had asked me but it just didn't feel right not making her something for her birthday.

"She's eleven Callen just give her something she can throw at the wall or something of sorts and she'll be satisfied." A deep voice spoke from behind me. I turned on heel to find a man cloaked in the deepest shade of black you could imagine right in front of my face.

'_How had he snuck up on me without me even getting a feeling of him being there? I hadn't gone that deep into thought had I? Of course not!'_

"Wait, how did you know what I was doing?" I questioned, quite confused.

"You're predictable, oh so predictable. Ever since you were a child I've been watching you from the shadows." He replied in a sadistic tone.

"W-why would you do that? Are you some kind of freak or something? Who are you anyway?!" I was definitely losing my cool and I had a tinge in the back of my neck that said to get the hell out of here, but could I?

'_If it resorts to such a situation I have my sword with me, I've got nothing to worry about.'_

"I have watched you whether I wanted to watch you or not, so my orders were and so it shall be. I was given one other order. Would you like to know what it is, Callen Kurtz?"

'_It seems like an honest question, but this guy is just too weird. Who knows what he'll do if I respond, if I try to run away he may kill me when my back is turned. I don't know how good this guy is I'd better not provoke him, just go along with it.'_

"What was your other order?" I replied, while trying my best not to allow my voice to crack, although I think it did.

"I'll just have to show you when the time is right." he said. I couldn't make out his face, but I could see enough of it to tell he was smiling.

"Just remember, I'm always watching." and with that, he turned heel and actually managed to jump from the ground up into a tree limb and then off further into the forest.

I stood in shock. '_What the hell is going on? First I run off with my best-friend/murderer. We get rushed upon by thieves, and I became a murderer as well. Then this crackpot weirdo hops out of a tree and says he's been watching me since I was a baby on my friends birthday.'_ This was too much for my brain to comply with, so I simply let it overload and go into safety mode. A one-track mind.

_'I'll go home and think of something to make her later. Better late than never.'_ By the time I had finished it was very dark out, and for the first time as I walked through the forest I was creeped out. Never once had I thought of ghouls or zombies or demons in the forest, but after seeing that man…his voice. I shivered as I looked to my left, right, and over my shoulder quite frequently as I made my way back. So frequently that I…don't think I was headed home anymore. I did a full 360 turn, I think. A bad decision, now I didn't know where I had come from. The wind picked up and whipped through the trees. It was like a bad horror story starting to unfold.

'_Ah, get ahold of yourself Callen, you can find your way, you just have to take your eyes to the skies.' _But there was no sky, not through the thick tree branches, and from what I could see, no stars either.

'_This isn't good, I could potentially be lost and I have no idea where I'm going or where I came from. I can't backtrack, I can't go forward without potentially getting lost even further. Maybe I should just wait here until daylight and find some land marks.'_ My breathing started to pick up a little, I didn't know what to do. I think I was actually beginning to panic as I heard movement around me. At that point I didn't know what I was doing, all I know is that I had scrapped my idea and was moving, as fast as I could run, I didn't know where, or when I would reach my unknown destination, and I really didn't care. I just wanted out of this damned forest. That was the sole thought I strived on, I hung onto it like if I lost it I would lose my mind. I probably would have. When I finally was forced to stop and catch my breath, I noticed it was beginning to rain.

"Just my luck." I said between gasps of air. '_Maybe I can find a hollow trunk somewhere, anywhere. Whoh, what's goin on…'_

My head started to spin, black blotches blinded my eyesight, I was light headed, disoriented, and exhausted. '_Am…I dying or something?' _I didn't know what to think. I'd never had this feeling before, I was never one to run short of breath. This just didn't feel the same, but I didn't get an opportunity to think about it any further not only because my mind was becoming as blind as my eyesight, but because I was getting quite sleepy. I took an uncoordinated step forward, added with a short stumble, and it was lights out. My conciousness had slipped away before I even hit the ground.

l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l- l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l- l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l- l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l- l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l- l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l

_Physical pain. Emotional pain. It blended together in perfect harmony now. I didn't know why I felt so much hurt for the person I looked over right now. I was bleeding, so was he. Tears streaked my face, and landed on his. I was breathing, but he was not. His dead eyes just stared back at me as if they wished they could be alive. I could feel my blood leaving me, my life leaving me, and it hurt so bad. Such a terrible hurt that you can't just shake off, a hurt that breaks you, tears you apart and leaves you to die. Of course that's the point. I didn't know who I was crying over, or for how long. Every time I tried to look at his face the nightmare I was stuck in hit replay. It was torture. I knew that if I didn't leave soon, didn't find someone to help me, that I was going to end up like him. I didn't want to leave him, I couldn't leave him, could I? The attachment was so powerful, it was impossible to break this bond. Whoever this was, I couldn't leave him behind. He had to come with me, if I didn't take him noone would. Don't ask how I knew, it was just a feeling. Thus I realized, this is a dream, I can control it, can't I? Only in dire situations does your brain recoil yourself from a dream into conciousness. Such as when you're falling, and you wake up just before your life ends from that sickening collision. If it happened, would your brain believe it was dead? Would you ever wake up again? These thoughts coursed through me blended with that terrible replay, and those feelings starting over and over again. Then, even less often does your brain conciously begin to think separately from your dream, as if multi-tasking, or maybe it's really happening and you're just an observer. Then your brain has the opportunity to register that this is your dream, and you have control, and if you want to wake up, you can wake up. That's exactly what I saw, and it was calling out to me with a vengeance. "Wake up! Come on! Wake up Callen! This is your dream, wake up now!" I fell over, staring at the blood from the would that sapped my life away. "No! You can't die yet! Wake up!" I dragged myself to my feet through sheer force of will and began to run, run toward a light. A beautiful light. A bridge. A salvation. "Wake up! Wake up!"_

l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l- l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l- l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l- l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l- l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l- l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l

I began to hear the sound of rain, and thunder. I felt water coming into contact with my skin and impacting my soaked clothes. I lifted my head, to find it was half buried in mud and water. I wiped some of the mud from the side of my face so that my eye would be able to open safely. I tried to life my head, it was so very hard. My head felt as if it weighed ten times heavier than my body. I wanted nothing more than to let it fall and close my eyes.

'_Would that be accepting defeat? Would I die if I gave into this urge to fall back into a nice, long, deep sleep? Probably. I could feel scratches on my face, arms, and legs. My waste flaired with pain from even a small movement. No doubt I'm suffering from some kind of blood loss right? If I allow myself to go to sleep again, this time it'll be permanent I'm sure.' _It took all the power I had to force myself to my feet. My head lulled, and then I took a quick look around. I really didn't take anything in except that it was wet, dark, I was in pain, and so very cold. I couldn't remember anything prior to passing out. The day seemed to have disappeared and the pain kept me from trying to remember.

So I built up what streangth I could, and began to trudge forward to nowhere, and prayed that the nowhere I was headed would turn into a somewhere at some point. The sky flashed and let loose a booming roar occasionally, and lit my way, although very poorly. I stumbled and fell quite alot, tripping over small things that only a extremely clumsy person would have tripped over. Even small twigs sometimes destroyed my footing. This pain, I don't know what it's coming from…my face, my arms, my waist, my legs…everything hurts.

'_Dammit, I can't even figure out where I'm hurt the most…I can't think straight, what's happening to me!? I can only assume that I've suffered some kind of wound beyond cuts and bruises.' _I continued to walk, if you could call it that. I don't know how long I was walking but all I knew was the tree's were gone and I was walking across a clearing.

' _Wait am I seeing what I think I am? I've heard of people seeing things when they're dying. This though, that light…could it be?'_

"Who're you? Identify yourself!" the man called out, his two companions stopped to take a look at what he was speaking to.

I stumbled into the light that had moved to shine at me, keeping my head down, the light felt so intense that my head would crack open. I could only hope that if I was where I thought I was, that they woudn't recognize me…but it was a false hope.

"Callen! Callen…you're hurt, we must get you home immidiately." My mentor, he hastened my footsteps until I couldn't keep up with myself. The ground came steadily closer until it stopped it's approach, but my upper waist flared in pain.

"Gahhh! L-let go! Agh!" I yelped involuntarily. Unfortunately he did not let go, but kept pulling me onward.

'_I'm so tired'_

"I'm so tired." I didn't have the streangth to lift my head, I didn't know where we were going.

"No Callen, stay awake, stay awake for now. Answer my questions alright? Who did this to you?" he responded earnestly.

'_Is this death? It's not peaceful as people say, it hurts. Maybe it's just the way I'm dying…yeah, I'm getting a painful death.'_

His voice was so far away, I couldn't answer, I didn't want to answer, and I didn't care. I was tired, and I was going to sleep whether I wanted to or not. My brain was shutting me down. These could be the final thoughts I ever have, and they we're suprisingly not on myself.

'_Cera, what would she do, what could she do, without me?'_

"Callen?! Oh my god my baby!"

'_Would she die out there? I don't want her to die like that. Who am I kidding she's alot stronger than she looks.'_

"What happened!? Callen look at me, answer me! Oh my god someone please help, help my son!"

' _Would she move on and forget about me? I didn't want her to forget me.'_

"We need a doctor immidiately, someone needs to stop the bleeding or…"

"Let me go! Callen, no, my baby boy!"

'_I don't want to be forgotten.' _Then I slipped away and allowed fate to determine whether I would live or die.

* * *

**Oh my gosh! *Smacks self* I REALLY didn't like writing this chapter. I hope I captured the -dark- side of the plot decently well. It was such a pain in the ass you have no idea! I could have lengthened it, I had more scenes I could have slipped in, but I just wanted to get down to it and set up a little plot, sorta. You can expect Chapter 5 to be VERY long. So if you don't like long chapters like chapter 2, you'll be dreading it as much as I am of writing it. It does tend to take me longer to get my chapters posted than some other people, because I prefer to write them down on paper before typing them. I didn't re-read this chapter after I wrote it, so if there are any grammar mistakes or the like I apologize.**

**Spiritofwater: I'm really sorry Chapter 3 was so short. I tried to make this longer without drabbling on, but yet, it got even shorter. Chapter 5 will be about the size of Chapter 2 or larger, so if you prefer longer chapters then I hope you'll like it.**

**Will Callen die?**

**Who was that cloaked man?**

**Will I ever be able to find my favorite pair of shoes?**

**Find out - *Later* (I really do hope I find those shoes though.) I hope you liked Chapter 4, and yeah I know cliff hangers suck. :P**

**R&R**

**~Alabastor89**


End file.
